Sweet Escape
by MadDam-de-Mort
Summary: Elena is just hanging out at the boarding house, when Damon comes in with a surprise. Roadtrip-time! With fun on the road, and an unknown destination;this could be the time of her life, or absolute torture! Delena, some fluff.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! okay, this is my first continuous story eeeep! It's set sometime during season 3, but before 3x19 and their little arguement thingy, so not as much conflict happening there. Originally, I thought this would be a depressing story about Elena finally falling apart, as you will see from the first paragraph ;) but I then decided to take completely random turn and make it another roadtrip!Yay! So have fun, enjoy, and hopefully I will be posting regular updates every week or so :) Enjoy!

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_Everybody's waiting, for you to break down_

_Everybody's watching, to see the fallout_

_Even when you're sleeping, sleeping_

_Keep your eyes open_

Elena was falling apart at the seams. Stefan was off on some sort of tangent, his excuse being_ 'Oh, Elena, I can't be there for you at the moment because I'm dealing with some things right now_ (aka trying not to kill everyone in sight) _and I need some time away from everything to clear my head. Don't come looking for me.' _She knew he was only going to indulge his cravings, just somewhere far away where she wouldn't hear the news from. She didn't care what he did, to be completely honest. She gave up caring and trying to help him a long time ago, he even told her he didn't need any. That, in her view, was enough reason to cease and desist. With Ric off his rocker with the whole 'Evilaric' thing going on, she wasn't sure of her safety at the Gilbert household anymore. Hell, she wasn't sure of her _sanity_ anymore.

She sat in the parlour at the boarding house, contemplating, when her thoughts were interrupted by the front door slamming. The sound of heavy boots echoed down the hallway, signaling the arrival of, most likely, Damon.

Elena continued to stare at her hands, refusing to express the relief she felt when it was confirmed that some nasty hybrid or a bored Original hadn't caught him in the crossfire while he was out doing whatever Damon does in his spare time – it wasn't usually a topic of conversation between the two.

The footsteps halted somewhere near the end of the couch she was leaning against, still sitting cross-legged on the floor by the dwindling fire. It wasn't a particularly cold day, but she needed the reassuring light and heat that emanated from the fireplace.

She could hear him fiddling with something, waiting for her to give him her attention. She stoically refused, but a small smile grew from the corners of her mouth.

'What's so funny, may I ask?' He sounded a little annoyed.

'Just thinking.'

'About?' He sat down next to her, staring straight ahead as her gaze hadn't shifted from her intertwined hands.

'Life. Future. The 'good old days'.' She mumbled, sighing. They sat together in silence for a few minutes, just listening to the comforting sound of each other's breathing.

'Well, I've got a surprise for you. It's road-trip-time. Come on, pack your bags. We're leaving in two hours.' He got up and smoothed down his clothes. Elena just sat there, astonished. 'Oh, and pack a bikini, we'll be going someplace warm.'

'But, Damon…' She tried to protest but he had already walked off, presumably to pack himself. She sighed and collected her car keys from the bowl next to the front door. She hoped Ric was himself, if he was there when she arrived at her house; she didn't particularly want to die whilst rifling through her drawers to find last season's bikini or a decent pair of shorts.

Once she had made sure there were no scary monsters inhabiting the house, she headed upstairs to her room – not that she would be able to do anything about it if said monsters were hiding in the closet – and pulled a chair over to her wardrobe so she could reach her duffel bag. She had to dust it off a bit, having not gone anywhere exciting in probably a good six months.

Then came the actual packing. Damon had been reasonably vague as to the destination of this road trip he was suddenly possessed to take, and she wasn't even sure she agreed with it yet; but something told her that she wouldn't complain if it meant spending time with a relaxed Damon, alone, for at least a week. At least she thought they were going for around a week; she pulled out her phone and texted Damon to check.

**How long are we going for?**

**-E**

His reply arrived in an instant, but didn't shed much light on the subject.

**As long as we feel like, Lena.**

**-D**

**Helpful.**

**-E**

**You know me ;) alright, more than a week, maybe two. Happy?**

**-D**

**Considerably. Meet you back at the boarding house soon.**

**-E**

She threw her phone onto her bed and started searching through her drawers; _summer stuff, summer stuff, _was running through her head. She had to rummage right through every drawer to finally find what she wanted, but when it came to finding a bikini she came up blank. It was absolutely nowhere to be found. She sighed angrily and decided to just buy one when they got there after looking in every possible space for it; the only downside being how flirty Damon would get once he found out they would be going bikini shopping. _Fantastic_, she thought.

After managing to find everything else, she zipped up her bag, which was full to almost bursting, as she still wasn't confident on the location of their little getaway. She heaved it down the stairs, checking a final time for her phone and ipod chargers, camera cords and at least one pack of tampax. The house looked oddly sad, as if her departure was the last of many; which, technically, it was. She gazed at it one last time before locking the front door, knowing that she would be the last person to inhabit it until Ric managed to overcome his 'Evilaric' stage. She then hauled her bag into the, thankfully, spacious boot of her car before sinking into the soft fabric of the driver's seat and setting off in the direction of the boarding house. The sky was darkening, and she looked at the dashboard clock to discover that it was now evening; hopefully Damon hadn't left without her.

Her worries were resolved, however, when she pulled up in front of the boarding house to find Damon's Camaro still happily parked to the left, boot and driver's door open, as well as the front door left ajar – probably for more trips to the car. She got out and left the car unlocked; no one was going to come and steal anything with Damon around.

Elena headed up to Damon's room, where she heard rustling and thumping sounds; presumably from hurried packing on Damon's part.

'Damon?' She peered around the doorjamb.

'Yep? Almost done,' She found him leaning over a dark suitcase, the contents very much matching the exterior, as Damon wore not much else apart from his standard black ensemble. She then got a chance to look around the room – spotless, as always – and saw something hanging over the back of a chair; something that looked vaguely like a bikini. In fact, it looked just like the one she had misplaced, a bright fuchsia halter with ruffles. She slowly walked over to it, trying to be subtle. When she reached said chair, she snatched it and held it in the air, walking sternly over to his bed.

'Why do you have my bikini in your room?' she questioned, flustered. He looked up nonchalantly.

'Uh, I think you left it here over the summer. I kept it just in case you needed it again, which now you do, so you're welcome.' He smirked and returned to his packing.

'Damon! You could've just told me that I'd left my bikini behind! I've been looking for it everywhere and I was thinking we'd have to go shopping once we got there -'

'We can still go shopping if you want to, Elena, I'm just pointing out that it's not necessary now.'

'But-'

'And as to the whole it-was-here-not-there situation, I thought you would have at least one other bikini if you so needed one, and what if you were caught here without one? Then you wouldn't have to go rushing back to your place and take another half an hour. So, _you're welcome_.' He stressed the last sentence unnecessarily, which caused Elena to huff and take both pieces of her swimsuit down to the car, stomping as she went. _Maybe a road trip with Damon isn't such a good idea after all, _she thought.

She was in the process of shutting her bag again, with much difficulty, when Damon came outside, along with his suitcase, a case that looked strangely like a well-loved guitar case, and a cooler full of blood bags. He arranged them carefully in the boot of his own car, then promptly came over to Elena and lifted her bag right out of the boot; her still trying to do up the zipper while he walked in the opposite direction.

'Oi! Trying to do up my bag here,' she protested. Damon placed the bag down beside his car, and proceeded to zip up her overflowing bag with ease. She folded her arms in irritation, though it was obvious he would be able to do anything with more ease than her, she was still annoyed.

He carefully arranged all the baggage so no part of his car was damaged, then gestured for her to get in; he walked over to her car, shutting doors and locking them, before doing the same to the boarding house. Once he was seated next to her, he let out a sigh.

'Alright, let's get on the road!' he yelled enthusiastically, then revved the engine a few times, and even in her sulking state, Elena couldn't help but crack a smile. 'That's it! Smile, we're on holiday now! Wooooooo!' He noticed her smile, and returned it with a genuine one. She giggled at his outburst and joined in.

And so they laughed delightedly as they drove off to new adventures.

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Reviews are love!

-M


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Welcome back ;) This chapter was so much fun to write, teehee :) Enjoy!

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The first stretch of road was accented with singing along to the radio, Damon doing some rather hilarious dance moves to some old songs from the OldGold station – head-banging, some air-guitar, and even a little disco – which Elena, of course, decided to secretly video on her phone.

She was holding her phone down by her knee and angling it up at Damon, perfectly capturing him enthusiastically jamming to Staying Alive by the Bee Gees; eyes closed, disco moves galore and complete with falsetto singing. She giggled and sang along, enjoying the fact that he was letting go for a while.

A high-pitched beeping interrupted his dancing mid-move, and realized, in horror, that he had been videoed making an idiot of himself. Elena quickly tried to save the video before he could grab her phone – the beeping had been the low-battery warning – and held it way out of his reach; or so she thought. A look of pure determination now adorned his face and he lunged for the phone, managing to keep the wheel straight with his knee while leaning completely over the top of Elena while she bucked out of her seat trying to prevent him from snatching the phone off her. She squealed, and he growled in response, trying to extend himself that much further – his hand was only around four inches from succeeding.

Elena's arm was trapped beneath them, and suddenly an idea sprung to mind. She wormed her other hand up to tickle Damon under the arm, and he reacted instantaneously; letting out an enormous squeal, much like a piglet, and shrunk back into his seat before glaring at her venomously and turning back around to take the wheel with his hands again.

'I'll get you for that, Elena. Be afraid, be very afraid.' She giggled at this and relaxed, thinking she was safe for now; but suddenly his hand shot out again to knock the phone out of her hand and onto the floor in front of her seat. He immediately reached down to pick it up, but Elena had the advantage of being able to see where it was, and being able to reach properly; and kicked it under the seat where she knew he couldn't get it right now.

'Ha! Shame! You'll have to wait until we stop the car and get out until you get it now!' She pointed her finger at him teasingly and he just continued to glare out the windshield at the road ahead and the sun starting to set.

'But so will you. Kinda defeats the purpose, don't you think?' He turned to smirk at her before returning his gaze to straight ahead.

She realized he was right; that probably wasn't the smartest idea, as he was much quicker and stronger than her; and she sank back down into her seat, a small frown shaping her features.

The radio had been completely forgotten while they fought their little battle of wills, and Elena now focused on it – the song now playing was 'You Can Leave Your Hat On' by Joe Cocker, and she could see Damon trying to resist singing along; his lips were forming the words and his head was bopping ever so slightly along to the beat, but when he noticed her looking at him, he stopped completely and stared straight ahead. She smirked and faced the front as well, and after a few seconds she could see him continue out of the corner of her eye.

She decided that he was being silly, and the next time the chorus came around, she turned the sound dial right up and sang really loudly, albeit badly; but Damon got the hint and joined in.

Little did she know, when she kicked her phone under the seat she had accidentally speed-dialled Caroline, and she hadn't hung up yet because she thought Damon and Elena's singing voices for every song from renditions of Queen to Johnny Cash were the most hilarious thing she had ever heard, and was recording the whole thing from her end.

Damon had been driving for a few hours after darkness set in when he pulled over at a motel sporting the sign _'Last motel for 100 miles!'_. Elena yawned widely and sat up from her previous position, slouched against the car door; eager to stretch her legs and take a look at the night's accommodation. They exited the car, Elena reaching for the sky and scrunching up her face so comically that Damon just had to snigger very unsubtly.

'What?!' She finished yawning, again, and glared at him; folding her arms over her chest huffily.

'You made a _very_ unattractive face while you were stretching,' He sniggered again and imitated her, deliberately exaggerating everything. She frowned playfully and smacked his arm before heading in the direction of the reception.

'I'd like to see you try not to make an unattractive face while yawning and stretching, Salvatore,' she called over her shoulder.

'Oh, I can assure you, my face stays very much attractive while doing anything,' His silky voice sounded from right next to her and she jumped slightly. Recovering quickly, she hit him again and gave up completely. She was tired from sitting in the car all day and just wanted to hit the shower and collapse onto her bed.

When they arrived at reception, she let him do all the talking and wandered over to inspect some sort of cheap artwork that was hanging on the opposite wall. She was jolted out of her thoughts by Damon's hand brushing her upper arm.

'They only had one room left, and it was a couple's room,' he started off hesitantly. Elena wasn't really onto it and didn't catch on to what he was trying to say.

'Yeah, yeah, that's fine. Whatever. I just want to sleep.' She closed her eyes again and leaned into his hand, almost falling on top of him.

'You'll be able to in a minute, I'll just show you where the room is and then you can go straight to bed, okay?' He steered her to the left once they left reception, and she followed his lead without complaining.

On reaching the room, Elena headed straight for the bathroom for a much needed loo break while Damon went back to the car for their luggage. There was a knock on the door after about two minutes, and she opened it to reveal Damon handing her a pink bag of toiletries, obviously taken from her suitcase.

'Thought you might need this,' He held it out to her, and she took it from him.

'Thanks. I'll only be a minute,' She smiled tiredly and closed the door again.

Thankfully the shower had decent water pressure, as she discovered upon turning on the relieving jet of water before dumping all her clothes in a pile on the floor. She stepped over the edge of the bathtub/shower and let the shower massage her back and wash the day's travelling off.

Feeling satisfied, and tired enough to drop right there, she toweled off and gathered her things, heading back to the main room. She smoothed down her oversized tee and pulled up her soft green sleep shorts after dumping all the stuff previously in her arms on top of her closed suitcase. She then ran a hand through her semi-wet hair and straightened up, properly taking in the room. She stiffened when her eyes alighted on Damon lounging on the only bed she could see – a queen bed that took up almost the whole room.

'Uh, Damon? Why's there only one bed?' She glanced at him nervously.

'I did tell you that the only room they had left was a couple's room,' He sighed and got up to collect his things before heading to the bathroom. 'Don't worry, fair lady, I can sleep on the couch if you want me to,' He shut the bathroom door behind him before she could answer, and she sighed heavily. The couch in question was really an oversized chair; far from long enough for a decent bed.

Elena climbed into bed, relishing the feel of clean sheets after a long day; leaving enough room for Damon before she changed her mind. Her head sank into the feather pillow, which annoyed her; Elena Gilbert liked her pillows firm. She discarded it, then thought better of it and thought, _Well if I'm going to have a decent sleep, I'll need a pillow; firm or not._ She snuggled right down and started dozing off when she heard the shower stop, shortly followed by the door opening and Damon coming out wearing only a pair of loose-fitting, black linen drawstring pants. She opened her eyes and sat up slightly when she heard him go over to the couch.

'No, no, it's okay. You can sleep with me in here.' She mumbled drowsily and felt the bed dip beside her, Damon answering softly.

'You do realize what you just said, don't you.' He chuckled.

'No funny business. Goodnight, Damon.' She yawned and snuggled back down.

'Goodnight, Elena.'

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Reviews are love!

-M


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Sorry I'm a bit late with this one, couldn't find any inspiration for a while. Enjoy!

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Damon woke to some soft snoring, coming from very close to him. He cracked open his eyes slightly, not wanting to have to get up and fully awaken; and the slits that were his eyes happened upon a sea of chocolate brown hair. Elena's chocolate brown hair, that he previously had his face pressed against. His arms were wrapped around her almost protectively, and she had burrowed her face into the hollow between his chin and his collarbone; her arms around his midsection and one leg thrown haphazardly over his.

_So much for no funny business, _he silently mused, and tried to get back to sleep; but no such luck as Elena stirred; minutely, but she still stirred. He kept absolutely rigid, trying to will her back to unconsciousness before she exploded at him about the interesting position she would find them in once she woke. He sighed as she completely ignored his wishes and snuggled further into him. _Okay then,_ he thought. _Maybe you do want to cooperate._

But his musings were interrupted violently when Elena reared up suddenly, causing Damon to jump. She inhaled sharply and brought a hand to her head, yawning. After contentedly focusing on herself for another moment, she finally realised the position she had started the morning in. She turned quickly and looked at Damon, alarmed and embarrassment beginning to colour her cheeks.

'Sorry,' Her voice was raspy and sleep-filled. Not attractive at all. 'I probably caused that. I move around in my sleep and latch onto the nearest thing,' She remembered her state of dress and slowly pulled up the sheet to cover her seemingly inappropriately clothed torso.

'No worries, I liked being latched onto; especially by you,' His voice was also gravelly from sleep, but he still managed to sound sexy. He wiggled his eyebrows and was answered with a smack on the shoulder, which was bare seeing as he never slept with a shirt on. Elena climbed hurriedly off the bed, and picked up her toilet bag.

'I'm going to have a shower, then can we get some breakfast?' she called over her shoulder while heading to the bathroom.

'Sounds like a plan,' he called back, getting out of bed and reaching down to pick up his jeans off the floor. They weren't too crumpled, but he decided to give them an iron anyway. He pulled a v-neck tee over his head after ironing and donning said jeans, ripping into a blood bag for some early morning nutrition. He pulled his boots on and tidied up his suitcase, getting everything ready so they could leave as soon as they were done. Sidling up to the couch where his jacket lay across the armrest, he sat down and crossed one leg over the other; still sipping on his breakfast.

This was how Elena found him when she came out of the bathroom in only a towel to collect clothes, which she should have thought of before going in. She caught him appreciatively staring when she bent over to pick up everything she needed, but chose to ignore it as the car ride would be considerably more awkward if she brought it up now.

She dressed quickly and they headed were on the road, stopping at about eleven when Elena started to get hungry at a small diner. They entered the almost deserted place and were immediately greeted by a perky-looking, busty blonde who Elena disliked from the first word that came out of her mouth.

'Hey there, what can I get y'all?' She focused all her attention on Damon, throwing in a dazzling smile and pushing her breasts just a little closer together.

'My _boyfriend_ and I would be happy with a table for two, thanks.' Her irritation seeped to the surface, her tone condescending and her hand weaving around his forearm, drawing him closer to her possessively.

Damon, however, liked that Elena was getting all uptight about the female attention he was currently getting, so to wind her up, he gave a bright smile to the waitress.

'That would be lovely –' he paused to look at her name tag; and, incidentally, her chest. 'Melissa.' He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she giggled, showing them to the best table in the diner – a little booth away from the toilets and the kitchen. Elena dragged him all the way there with her arm firmly hooked through his.

'Just let me know when you folk would like somethin' to eat, ya hear?' Damon nodded and dazzled her with another smile, before turning back to a quietly fuming Elena.

'What's wrong, princess?' He reached across the table to uncross her arms that looked like the circulation was at risk of terminating any minute from her strong grip.

'Oh, nothing.' she huffed and looked away.

'Sure doesn't look like nothing,' he raised his eyebrows and pouted at her. 'Come on, pouty. Tell me.' he demanded.

'I'm fine, Damon. Now quit bugging me and let me order some breakfast.' She grabbed at menu, but Damon held it out of reach.

'Ah, ta, ta! Not until you tell me why you're in a grump.' She sunk back into her seat, arms folded more loosely across her chest this time.

'You're gonna think I'm stupid,' she tried to protest, but he looked sternly at her.

She sighed. 'Fine. I was jealous that you gave that bimbo your attention and not me.' He chuckled and she wacked him.

'Ohhhh, so that's what that whole _my boyfriend and I _thing was about! Gettin' a bit worried there, thought you'd mixed us Salvatores up,' He nudged her elbow and she couldn't resist cracking smile.

But then her face fell again when she realised what he had said.

'It's not like that anymore, you know that. He's dead to me, since the night he tried to drive me off the bridge,' She looked down at her lap, and tried to hold back tears as she remembered that horrible night.

Damon, ever her dark knight, slid out of his side and joined her on the other bench. He drew her into him, resting his chin on the crown of her head as she sniffled slightly.

'Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.' He kissed her hair and lifted her face up to look in her eyes. 'Will some waffles cheer you up?' She smiled and laughed, still teary-eyed, but now feeling better.

'Sure,'

'I'm sorry, I hope I haven't interrupted something,' came the high southern drawl of the blonde waitress; a smug look on her face suggesting that interrupting a moment was exactly what she had hoped to accomplish.

'Oh, not at all. Could we please have some waffles and a milkshake, chocolate flavour…?' He looked at Elena for confirmation, and she nodded; her forehead resting on his sternum. 'Yes, thanks.' He turned straight back to stroking Elena's hair and the small of her back.

'Will you not be having anything?' Clearly she was eager to just continue conversing with this god that was sitting in front of her, no matter how obvious it was that her presence was unwanted by both other parties.

'No, thanks.' Damon's tone said it all, and she turned away; her smile half as strong as it was when she had come over.

Elena started giggling, the poor girl looked immensely put out.

'She was a bit desperate, wasn't she?' Damon admitted, chuckling alongside Elena.

'Definitely!'

'I bet you get that all the time though, don't you?' She gave him a look.

'Yeah, I frequently get _every_ woman on _every_ street throwing themselves on me, even if, like, a boyfriend or husband is standing right next to them! I tell you, it starts a fight or two,' He wiggled his eyebrows, and Elena's tears had completely disappeared. 'Better now? Has my wondrous humour worked its magic?' His tone was joking, but his eyes were serious as they concentrated on her face for more signs of tears.

'Yup,' She nodded and giggled again, going to move away slightly from the embrace she was currently resting in; but he made no move to release her. He rubbed his palm up and down her spine and pulled her closer for one last hug.

'You know, you have a beautiful smile. I haven't seen it lately, but hopefully it makes a few more appearances before we have to return to reality,' he said softly, his lips right by her ear.

She felt herself blush at his comment, and drew away hurriedly. The blond waitress arrived just in time with her breakfast so she wouldn't have to reply to his compliment, leaving them in a semi-awkward silence as she ate.

Damon looked on with a little sadness, wondering when his princess would finally let herself love him.

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Reviews are love!

-M


	4. Chapter 4

Hey there! Sorry I've been a bit slack on the updates, I've been in Australia for a week. i did try and compensate, I wrote every day; just the lack of internet access sucked just a little bit ;) I'm going to have a massive tumblr and fanfiction catch-up this weekend! Anyways, on with the story. Enjoy!

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Once Elena had finished up they started up again, back on the road. Her breakfast had left her satisfied and rather drowsy, and she drifted off; leaving Damon to contemplate recent events and let his mind wander.

An hour or so into her nap, Elena's fitful doze encouraged her to make a drastic move in her position; and suddenly she wasn't leaning against the car door, but on Damon. This gave him quite a fright, and caused him to almost lose control of the steering; but not quite. Elena's hand was now resting on his leg thanks to her new position, and Damon's hand slid down from the steering wheel to join it, absently rubbing soft circles over the back of her hand. His eyes then returned to the road, and his thoughts to faraway places.

Elena awoke to a face full of Damon's black v-neck, and a soothing feeling in her hand. She opened her eyes and sat up slowly. Damon snapped out of his thought-world and turned his head to look at her.

'Wakey wakey, sleepy head,' He smiled at her and continued to stroke her hand, though a little faster now that he was paying attention to what he was doing.

'Hey,' She gently retracted her hand from under Damon's, and reached up with both hands to rub the sleep out of her eyes. 'What'd I miss?' she managed before a yawn encompassed her facial features.

'Oh, not much; boring countryside, multiple towns that had nothing much to offer.' He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows, inclining his head towards his shoulder. 'I take it you were dreaming about me, explains the drool.' She wacked him and folded her arms over her chest, in a huff.

'For your information, Mr Smarty-Pants, I had a very restful sleep that wasn't plagued by dreams, for once,' She sat back in her seat and looked out the window.

However, something caught her eye and she sat up, eyes wide, and leaned forward as if to try and get a better look at something outside.

'I know this place,' she almost whispered, and brought her hand up to the window. 'This is where we went on holiday once; me, Mom, Dad, and Jeremy.' Her eyes glazed over, remembering times gone by. 'It was one summer when I was about fifteen, and my parents wanted to take us somewhere special for a holiday. They always said they wanted to go back, but they died before we ever managed to,' she finished in a whisper.

Damon felt perplexed, and tried to distract her from the tragedies she had to live with every day.

'What was it like?' He looked out the window at the river they were about to drive over, and saw a little house about a mile upstream from the bridge. It was a sweet little cottage and had a jetty out on the river, along with a dinghy and complete with a gabled roof and a wide porch.

She looked back at him, her eyes full. 'What?'

He turned back to the road ahead, and spoke a little softer than he had before. 'Having an enjoyable holiday with your family.'

She stared at the little house on the river, and remorse filled her at his comment. She almost felt selfish, reminding him through her reminiscing that his childhood wasn't in the least as pleasant as hers. She answered his question nonetheless.

'It was one of the best memories I have of our whole family. We stayed for two weeks; two blissful weeks. We spent every day on or in the water; I pushed Jeremy off the jetty fully clothed when we first arrived and were looking around. He splashed around in the water, flailing about in his extra-large hoodie that he thought made him look cool. Needless to say he never wore enormous baggy hoodies again,' She broke off, giggling half-heartedly. 'My mom made us either pancakes or waffles every day, and we stayed up each night playing cards and board games. It was the most fun I'd had in ages, and Dad kept trying to cheat at cards. He wasn't very subtle about it either, he had a hopelessly obvious poker face. Even when we started playing Cheat, he sucked. And cheating is the whole point of the game!' She sighed, her gaze falling to her hands in her lap. 'Sadly, that all had to come to an end too when Jeremy slipped on the jetty and ended up concussed. We rushed him to the hospital, and he spent three days in an induced coma. The doctor said his memory might be a bit funny when he woke up, and it would be best for him to be in a familiar environment. So we packed up all our bags and headed home.' Her fingers were intertwined, writhing in her lap.

'We were supposed to stay for three weeks, but even that couldn't go to plan. My parents were pushed for money, and had been for years; but it was getting worse and that holiday was the most they could do for us; they scraped together all they had to give us a few weeks without cares. They really tried, but the hospital bill put a rather abrupt end to all luxuries for months. I knew that they would often go hungry so we could have food. Mom especially pretended everything was alright, but most times she brushed off my attempts to share my food with her, and her stomach grumbled like it hadn't had food in weeks. I stopped trying after a while, because they just wouldn't let me help them. They were too proud to accept anything, even from me.

'I think it was also a contributing factor in the accident; they hadn't eaten before coming to pick me up from the party, as they usually did when there wasn't money to spend on petty things like lunch. I think that's why Dad wasn't concentrating as well on the road as he could have. The bridge took him completely by surprise. I, of course, didn't help much; being the typical teenager and sulking as they scolded me for blowing off a perfectly good dinner they had managed to afford and some time with family for a stupid party. I thought I could just have a good time with some friends and escape the pending bankruptcy we were facing. But that went down the toilet as well, especially after I pretty much broke up with Matt on top of the accident. I just seem to be doomed in some way or another. I swear I don't try to get myself in unfortunate situations, I'm not some kind of sadist.'

She sighed heavily, resigned and exhausted. 'I've decided I'll just stop expecting my life to behave normally. It doesn't seem to like behaving.'

The car was silent for a minute or so, the air heavy with Elena's words and Damon's realisation that perhaps her life, at least before everything supernatural, wasn't as perfect and carefree as he originally thought it was.

'I never knew.' He said softly.

'Never knew what?' she sighed. She was just so tired.

'That your life before all this supernatural crap wasn't a fairytale written in rainbows by unicorns.' He sighed as well. 'I thought that you had the perfect life; the loving parents, family holidays every summer to some exotic location, perfect grades, cheer captain, a homemade meal on the table every night, no family crises to deal with. I thought that it only turned bad for you after the accident. I thought that I was the one with a vaguely terrifying and hard-going childhood. I'm sorry if I asked too much; you didn't have to tell me all that. I just wanted to get your mind off the absence of your parents and the generally shitty direction our lives have taken. Well, not as much mine, but yours. I'm trying to take us away from all that, like our five minutes in Georgia just after we met. Like that holiday you had with your parents at the river. I just wanted life to behave for you for a while.'

As he said this, his voice grew softer; and Elena had shuffled over to him and leant into his side, her cheek on his collarbone. Her arm wanted to wrap around his abdomen, but she knew it wouldn't be comfortable for either of them; so she waited until he moved slightly; twisting towards her. His arm came up around her lower back, settling around her waist. She moved her arm and sighed, exhausted from their conversation.

'Thank you,' She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. Her voice grew thick, and she said, 'I don't deserve you caring so much,' A single tear fell from her eyes and was absorbed by the soft cotton of his shirt.

He was so taken aback by her comment that he stopped the car right in the middle of the highway. He didn't even pull over. He turned to look her right in the eye.

'Elena Gilbert. Do not, ever, say _anything _of the sort. You deserve every good thing that comes your way, because if people continue wanting to kill you, you might never get any again. I will do my best to make sure that never happens, but it is still a possibility; however many times I wish it, I am not God. I love you, Elena, and you deserve as much of my love as I can give you. Don't ever think you don't. Okay? We clear? Any more situations you would like to clear up?' A small smile tugged at the corner of both their mouths, and Elena's broke into a full blown smile.

'I don't know how I ever thought you were a horrible person,' She snuggled back into the embrace they had created without realising it.

'Well, that was before you'd gotten to know me,' She could hear the smirk in his voice. They sat like that for a while, before Damon noticed the sun setting. 'Time to get back on the road, huh?' He placed a kiss on the top of her head, and withdrew one arm to start the ignition. He turned so he could see the road ahead, and pulled her along with him so they were still sitting in a comfortable embrace, but able to continue on their trip.

They drove contentedly towards the sunset, and to a new understanding of each other.

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Reviews are love!

-M


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! Here's another chapter, and omg this week's episode! I swear I was crying my eyes out in the lantern scene, and when Damon talks to Ric. I just love them so much! Alaric's ghost needs to come back more. Anyway, on with the story! Enjoy :)

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After the sun had been absent for a few hours, Damon pulled in to a small motel, and asked for a room for the night – with separate beds this time – and gently unloaded all that was Elena, along with their bags. He carried her sleeping form to their room and set her down on one of the single beds, turning down the sheets before placing her comfortably in bed. He pulled off her shoes and left her in her camisole and leggings.

She stirred slightly when he drew the covers up around her, but otherwise she was unresponsive. She tucked her hand underneath the pillow and turned on her side, sighing heavily while pressing her cheek into the soft feathers. Damon left her to have a shower, and when he returned she hadn't moved an inch.

He slid between the covers of his own single bed, wearing only some drawstring black linen pants, and looked over to check on Elena – still blissfully asleep after a long day of traveling – before turning the bedside lamp beside him off and sinking down onto the down pillow.

Elena awoke in the night, to an awful scraping sound coming from the direction of the window – it almost sounded like nails on a blackboard, but she figured it had to be a branch against the window.

The noise increased in volume, and Elena slid out of bed; careful not to make too much noise as she didn't want to wake Damon. Her heart was racing for some reason, it wasn't as if anyone wanting to come and kill her would first make horrid scraping noises against the window, but you never know.

The moonlight shining from outside hit the floor and spidery shapes danced across the carpet, the wind outside whistling through the cracks in the window frame. She crept closer, pivoting so she could see the tree outside that was making the noise. She was right next to the window when lightning struck, illuminating what looked like a pale face pressed close to the window pane. The wind howled, and Elena let out a small scream; stumbling backwards onto the closest thing – Damon's bed. She landed right on top of his feet, and he seemed to react immediately – the bedside lamp snapped on, revealing a dishevelled and shirtless Damon sitting up in his bed, one hand on the light switch. Elena relaxed instantly, sagging onto the end of his bed with tired eyes and heavy head.

'What's wrong, Elena?' His voice was gravelly from sleep, but he leaned right down to where she was lying in a heap, his brow creased in attentive concern.

'I woke up because of that tree outside the window, it was scraping against the glass, and when I went over to check it out, there was a flash of lightning and I thought I saw a face right up against the glass so I screamed and fell backwards and here we are.' She said this all in one breath, and at this point she was collapsed from exhaustion at the foot of his bed. He reached down and picked her up, bringing her up to the right end of the bed. He tucked her legs under the covers next to him, and she attempted to shuffle down so she wasn't half out the top of the covers, but Damon had to help her after it became obvious she was too tired to really do much at all. He turned the light off and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her gently into his bare chest before sinking back into unconsciousness. She was out cold as soon as she was under the covers, so she was already softly snoring into his strong chest, safe from anything that tried to reach her.

Morning came, and Damon woke a little before Elena did; giving him time to become aware of their position and remember what caused them to be so intertwined. As he was recalling the previous night, Elena's heartbeat gradually sped up, indicating her rise to consciousness.

She rubbed her cheek into his warm chest, inhaling deeply before fluttering her eyes open. Her eyelashes tickled Damon's bare skin and he made a little sound of pleasure, coming from deep within his throat. It resonated through his chest and Elena realised that, once again, she had enjoyed the company of Damon Salvatore for at least half the previous night.

She lifted her head slightly before settling back down into him.

'Morning,' she said as if their position was the most normal thing in the world.

'Morning,' He smiled and hugged her closer for a moment. 'We seem to like sleeping close to each other.' He closed his eyes and pressed his face into her hair.

'Can I tell you a secret?' she mumbled.

'I pinky-promise not to tell,' His speech was also impaired from snuggling closer to her, and she almost missed what he said.

'I don't want to move at all. I'm really comfy, plus I'm sick of the car.' She shifted her face so she could breathe properly, and her voice wasn't muffled by Damon's bare skin. He then pressed his cheek to her hair instead of his whole face so they could talk as normally as possible.

'I don't blame you, I'm pretty comfy as well,' She could hear the smile in his voice.

'Question,' she said after a few moments.

'Fire away.'

'Why do we bother going to lengths to avoid entangling ourselves when we seem to end up entangled anyway, regardless of whether there is one bed or two in the equation,' He was silent for a minute or two. In fact, she had thought that he had rudely gone back to sleep while she was talking and missed half of it, when he decided to answer her.

'To be perfectly honest, I have no clue. Why do we bother? Why don't we not bother instead?'

Elena thought about it for a moment, and about her relationship with Damon, and what was going on with Stefan, and whether it would work out if she gave in to her urges and Damon's wishes or if their intensity would just run rampant until there was nothing left, hurting both and destroying an essential friendship in Elena's point of view. She thought about long term and she thought about living arrangements, and she thought about whether or not her friends and what remained of her family would approve. But then she thought, _Stuff it, I should do what makes me happy, no matter what anyone else thinks._

'Let's not bother,' she said after her intense inner monologue. 'I'd like to not be bothered about something for once in my life.'

Elena was so tired from discovering this that she drifted back to sleep shortly after making that comment, and in doing so she missed Damon's massive grin that spread across his face. He felt warm and happy; Elena had finally taken a step, however small, in the direction of a proper relationship.

He fell asleep with that smile on his face, and he dreamed of a perfect world where his love was fully returned by the girl of his dreams.

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Reviews are love!

-M


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys! Here's the next chappie, and what about this week's episode! looks like Delena is going to start going somewhere ;) anyway, enjoy!

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Their road trip took a different course after Elena's little revelation, and they had progressed to hand holding when they felt it was necessary, sitting close together and leaning on each other. They also shared smiles and looks, singing along to the radio and sharing food when they stopped for breakfast and lunch.

While at a diner at about one o'clock, their lunch break, Elena overheard an old couple sitting a table or two away from them; they were commenting on how blissful young love was, and when Elena looked over at them, they waved and the lady wished them many a happiness together. Elena blushed, of course, and Damon had to take over.

'Thank you very much, I assure you we will.' He waved and smiled – genuinely, not his dazzling smile that the rest of the public generally received.

Elena was looking down at her meal – a burger and fries – still blushing furiously, when Damon extended a long finger and tipped her chin upwards, facing him.

'It's alright, Lena, they're just a sweet old couple. Besides, we've had good times together, haven't we?' She nodded – anyone would find it hard to resist Damon's charm and his beautiful smile.

Everything returned to normal when they were back in the car, they sat close together and Damon played with Elena's hair, occasionally smiling at each other as if sharing an inside joke. With about an hour until sunset, Damon turned towards Elena.

'Hey, guess what,'

'What?' She smiled up at him.

'We're almost there. Only about half an hour to go,' He grinned and his eyes lit up like the stars that were beginning to shine through the evening light.

'Yay, no more car,' She sat up and looked out all the windows she could; she wanted to get a glimpse of what they had driven all this way for.

Out the passenger side window she saw gently undulating hills, a greenish-yellow from the heat of the South's summer, or what would soon be summer. There were a few farmhouses dotted along the countryside, along with the smaller dots of animals in some places.

Out Damon's window she saw fields only one deep before a wall of tall brush cut the perfectly set crops off, towering over the corn. The sky on that horizon looked almost a brighter blue than the sky above the fields opposite, which puzzled Elena but also made her a little more excited. _Is that extra-blue sky shining over the ocean?_ She thought excitedly.

Ahead of her, through the windscreen, stretched the highway; long and greyscale, petering off into the horizon. The fields on either side continued endlessly, but there was a sign coming up on their left. As it came into view, Elena read its words in her head; _You are now entering Sunshine County, Home of the Brightest Beaches in the South._

She lit up and squealed excitedly.

'Damon! Are we going to the beach?!'

'You'll just have to wait and see, Lena. After all, it's only half an hour away,' He smirked and winked at her.

'Damon, you're no fun.' She slumped back into her seat and folded her arms over her chest.

'On the contrary, I am probably the funnest person you know,' He wiggled his eyebrows, and she wacked him on the shoulder.

'You seem so sure of yourself. I could know hundreds of people more fun than you,' She poked her tongue out at him.

'Point taken, but whom, out of all those hundreds of fun people that you know, is taking you for a surprise holiday-roadtrip?' He inclined his head towards her and raised his eyebrows. 'Hmm?'

'Oh, alright. It's probably true. All the fun people I used to know haven't really been around lately,' She drew her legs up onto the seat, wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her chin on top of them.

He noticed the sudden change in her mood, and tried to lighten the situation.

'Well, I'm still here, and let's face it; I am considerably more fun than anyone you could have possibly known, so there's no point trying to say otherwise.' She smiled at this and lifted her head off her knees.

'How long now?' she asked impatiently.

'If you're wondering, we're not there yet.'

'Damonnnn,'

'We've still got about twenty minutes, maybe a bit more. Better?'

'Considerably.'

They sat in content silence for another ten minutes, until Elena just couldn't keep her excitement inside any longer.

'Damon,'

'Yes?' He looked over at her almost bouncing out of her seat like a small child.

'I'm excited.' She grinned out the windscreen.

'That's good,' He was slightly amused by her childish behaviour, but decided not to complain. She hadn't had the chance to just be a kid in a long time.

'Damon,' She said again after about thirty seconds.

'Yes, Elena?' He smirked to himself.

'I'm still excited.'

'Well, it's not long now and we'll be there.' He chuckled to himself, and she started again.

'Damon,' She looked over to him now, and shuffled closer to him so she could lean her head on his shoulder.

'Yes, Elena?' He looked down at her elated expression.

'Thank you for taking me on this trip,' He was surprised by her change in thoughts, he had expected her to tell him how excited she was again.

'You're always welcome, Princess,' He smiled genuinely, and leant his cheek on the top of her head.

They stayed like that until the car rounded a corner, which revealed the sparkling ocean and the beautiful setting sun; the road descending towards the shore and a town that wasn't much bigger than Mystic Falls, with cute little bungalows along the beachfront. The golden sand glowed in the orange light of the setting sun, and the water glittered. Elena gasped.

'Oh my God, it's beautiful,' She sat up straight and brought a hand to her mouth. Damon smiled over at her, enjoying being able to leave her breathless; but not, of course, in the way he really wanted to.

'It's perfect! Just, wow. Thank you so much, Damon!' She beamed at him before continuing to gaze at the scenery.

'Just wait until you see where we're staying,' She whipped her head around to face him with an even bigger grin on her face, if that was possible, and he winked at her and grinned back.

The car weaved down through the streets of this little town, before finally stopping in front of a medium-sized house, definitely a beach house from the colour scheme and the shells featuring in the décor. The front door was maple wood, with the rest of the exterior of the house a sandy colour.

Damon got out of the car, closely followed by Elena, and reached into his pocket for the keys. He unlocked the door, and a foyer laid with pearly white tiles was revealed. To the left was a kitchenette, the bench top a marble slab with bar stools on the opposite side. To the right was a living area with two sandy-coloured couches, each with a pale blue and white striped blanket over the back of them; a maple coffee table in the centre of the area in front of a maple unit, which balanced the television and the stereo system. Straight ahead was a hallway which turned off to the left, presumably where the bedroom/s and bathroom were situated, laid with the same white tiles.

Elena walked over to the living area, of which the far wall was completely a glass door that opened right up for a smooth transition on to the wooden deck outside, which had an outdoor table and chairs in the same maple wood, a large umbrella standing unopened in the middle of the table; along with a barbeque and steps down on to the lawn, which turned into golden sand after about five metres. She pushed open the sliding doors to let the warm sea breeze flow through the house, then stepped outside onto the deck. She toed her shoes off and pulled up her pants, before stepping down from the deck onto the cool grass and then the sand.

She stood there for a minute or two, savouring the feeling of the grains between her toes. The waves gently lapped at the shore, calling for her to dip her feet in. She started slowly, then raced towards the sea, a smile on her face and a skip in her step. Her feet ploughed into the oncoming waves and she danced around joyfully, not caring whether she got her clothes wet or not. Droplets of water sprayed in every which direction when she stooped to let her hands become one with the waves. Her laughter echoed all the way down the beach, telling the world how much fun she was having.

Damon leant against the doorjamb back at the house, just watching Elena frolicking in the waves. She had the biggest smile on her face as she danced with the water, and Damon smiled to himself. She looked so blissfully happy.

He had changed into a white v-neck shirt that clung to him like a second skin, and he had rolled up his jeans in foresight of Elena dragging him into the sea. He was barefoot, balancing on one leg with the other resting on the toe just behind it. His arms were folded across his godly chest, emphasising the size of his biceps.

Mid-twirl, Elena noticed Damon observing her from the house. She stopped dancing and ran back up to join him, tugging on his arm.

'Come on, you have to feel the ocean! It's heavenly!' She dragged him over the lawn and the sand to the ocean. In her haste, their footsteps splashed water up Damon's jeans and Elena's leggings, but they didn't care. They were having too much fun to care.

Elena laughed at Damon's face when he noticed his Armani jeans were now wet. He scowled playfully and reached down, scooping up some water in his hand and chucking it in her direction, all over her white t-shirt. His actions revealed her bright pink bra, but he was the only one that realised. She gasped from the shock of the cool water hitting her skin, and a look of determination was sent in Damon's direction, along with a larger handful of water.

This time he was the one with the soaking shirt, and jeans, and he smiled evilly.

'Oh, it's on.'

Elena squealed and tried to run away, but was still hit by the onslaught of splashing Damon sent her way. She returned fire and leapt further out to sea, but Damon's hand wrapped around her ankle and they both fell completely in the water.

Damon was the first to recover, breaking the surface of the water moments before Elena. They exchanged glances, before Elena shrugged, as if saying _Who cares? _and their splashing war continued.

After a while, the sun had fully submerged into the ocean, taking most if the light with it. Elena decided it was time to go back and warm up; her stomach grumbled.

'Let's go back inside, yeah?' Damon suggested, their splashes had lost their power and they took more effort than originally.

'Race you,' Elena's eyes lit up again, and her muscles tensed. 'Ready, go!'

She sped off and out of the water, the mobility of the sand slowing her down slightly before she leapt onto the deck. Damon was close behind her, making sure she didn't trip on anything. She reached out and slapped the doorjamb where Damon had been leaning before joining her, and rested her hands on her knees.

'Ha! I bet you!' She was breathing heavily, exhausted from playing in the sea and the sprint towards the house. A shiver coursed through her dripping frame and Damon ushered her inside.

'Come on, you need a warm shower and a change of clothes,' and he led her down the corridor to the master bedroom.

As soon as she crossed the threshold, Elena's feet were sinking into the thick grey carpet. The bed dominated the room, a king-size with white covers, an enormous pile of pillows, of colours eggshell blue, a light charcoal grey like the carpet, and driftwood. It was complete with a maple headboard and two maple side tables, each with simple white lamps upon them. There was a large pale blue chair in the corner, and the right wall was sliding glass doors like the ones in the living room. A door to the left was open, indicating the ensuite, which Damon led Elena to.

He opened a cupboard built in to the wall, and pulled out two large, fluffy driftwood-coloured towels for Elena after her shower. When he returned, he found her looking around the luxury bathroom in amazement.

To the right was a marble bench with two inset sinks, each adorned with a variety of soaps and a decorative shell of some kind. Behind that was a nook which housed the shower, in the same pearly tiles as the foyer and the rest of the bathroom. Directly opposite was an enormous Jacuzzi, with jets everywhere you could think of. It was set into the wall, and several cream candles were placed around the corners. A bottle of bath salts also stood close at hand. The toilet sat next to the Jacuzzi, to the immediate left of anyone entering the bathroom.

'Here you go,' Damon handed Elena the fluffy towels and pulled the door to. 'I'll go change, then I'll just be at the supermarket getting dinner, okay? So feel free to spend as long as you like in there,' He left her in peace.

Elena decided to use the heavenly-looking Jacuzzi and turned the taps on full blast before pulling off her wet clothes. Grabbing a towel, she opened the door and looked around the bedroom to see if Damon had brought in her bag yet; which, of course, he had. She fished around in it for her toiletries, and headed back to the bathroom. She noticed that Damon's things were around the opposite side of the bed, and was elated and also nervous that he had decided to stick to their agreement made earlier that day. She wasn't sure where this decision would take their relationship, but she hoped it wouldn't be weird or move too fast. _Besides, _she thought. _The bed's big enough to avoid anything that doesn't feel right yet…_

She had spent so much time with her thoughts that the Jacuzzi was now at the perfect height. The bottle of bath salts was within easy reach when she slid into the water, and she poured a generous amount into the warm water. A sigh escaped her lips, and she tipped her head back to rest on the lip of the tub. After a few minutes, she let her head slip under the water to get all the salt out of her hair; before reaching over the side to grab her shampoo and conditioner.

Washing her hair took no time at all, and after she was done the temptation of total relaxation was too strong, and she drifted off, looking forward to all this vacation could offer.

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Reviews are love!

-M


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys! This week's ep was packed full of Delena, loved it so much! Though I wish Elena would just make a damn decision already! Sorry, no more ranting :) Enjoy!

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Elena was jolted out of her dream world just before her head sank beneath the bubble cloud that still floated, though now somewhat deflated, on the surface of the water. Her Jacuzzi was lukewarm and semi-unpleasant, and she lifted herself out of the tub. Listening for any signs of Damon's return, she towelled herself off and stepped into a pair of denim cut-offs, pulling a loose tank top over her head before heading out into the kitchen area to wait for Damon.

She explored the cupboards for a while, seeing if she could find anything besides cutlery and teabags. No such luck, however, and the sound of the front door opening resounded a few minutes later. Damon's footsteps echoed on the tiles and soft humming of a happy tune reached Elena's ears, and she looked up and smiled. He was by her side in an instant.

'Hey,' He deposited the bags of groceries on the bench next to where she leant against it. 'Didn't drown in the bathtub, I see,' he smirked and started unpacking the bags.

'Not quite,' She elbowed him gently in the side and reached for another bag. 'So what's for dinner, Chef Extraordinaire?' He glanced over at her and smiled knowingly.

'I was thinking, pumpkin and feta risotto? Sound good to you, Your Highness?' He winked at her and took the plastic bag from her, stowing both his and hers under the bench before getting out a chopping board and the pumpkin.

She nodded. 'Can I help with anything?'

'You can be on dicing duty.' He handed her a knife and slid the chopping board over to her. He continued humming away to himself as he prepared the other ingredients, unaware that Elena stood there slightly dumbfounded as to how she would start. It eventually came to her having to ask him how to do it.

'Uh, Damon? Where exactly do I start?' He looked at her strangely.

'Have you never diced a vegetable before?' he said incredulously.

'The men cooked in our family, Mom used to sit on the couch with a glass of wine and watch Dad work his magic. I guess I didn't inherit his skill,' Damon shook his head in disbelief.

'Still, Elena, you should know how to cut something up,' He shook his head again. 'Honestly.'

'Hey, _I'm_ sorry, would you like me to sit and watch you do it all by yourself? I just wanted to be helpful,' She turned away from him with her arms folded firmly over her chest, clearly about to go off in a sulk.

'Don't be like that, I was just having a little fun. It is quite funny though,' His arms wound around her waist from behind, his face resting on her shoulder as he let out a little chuckle.

'Still,' He had weakened her resolve, but she was trying awfully hard to stand her ground.

'How about I show you, then you'll be able to do it all by yourself, hmm?' He hugged her closer and rubbed his cheek against hers.

She huffed. 'Fine, show me.' He turned her back around, and when she picked up the knife he closed his hand over hers, guiding it in the right direction.

'First you cut the top and bottom off like this, then you shave off the rest of the skin like this, okay? Not too hard really,' He winked at her, and she slapped his arm with her free hand.

'Okay, I think I can do this.' She slid the knife under the skin of the pumpkin, and after she managed to make a pretty good job of it, Damon stopped watching her so closely and he returned to preparing the rest of the dish.

In no time at all everything was finished, and Damon poured the last lot of stock into the pan before stirring it a few times and garnishing it with parmesan. He dished out two hearty servings and handed one to Elena.

'Do you want to sit outside or inside?' She thought about it for a minute.

'Outside, we can light the fire,' She almost skipped outside, with Damon in hot pursuit. He knelt and lit the fire, the small flame quickly turning into a larger, warmer one. Elena took the seat closest to the fireplace, but still she shivered slightly.

'I'll be right back,' She quickly stood up and rushed back to the bedroom, searching through her bag for a jumper. Her search proved to be fruitless, and she went over to Damon's suitcase to see if he packed anything vaguely jumper-like. A close-knit black sweater revealed itself, and Elena shrugged it over her head, enjoying the scent of Damon that flooded her senses. She walked briskly back outside, sat down in her seat and folded her legs underneath her, oblivious to Damon's puzzled gaze at her choice of clothing. She looked up at him after taking her first bite, and finally noticed.

'May I ask why you are wearing my jumper?' He smirked slightly.

'Um, I don't think I packed one. Plus yours are comfy. Sorry,' She blushed and he smiled reassuringly.

'Just don't put a hole in it or anything,' He smirked again and took a bite of his dinner. 'Oh, I can taste the excellent dicing of the pumpkin in here, how do you do it?' he said jokingly.

'Oh, I'm pretty sure you have to be born with it, sorry,' She giggled and ate another mouthful.

'What a shame,' he teased. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind. 'Hey what did you mean 'mine are comfy'? Do you frequently steal my jumpers, like a hobby or something?'

'Umm…' She blushed furiously and looked down at her food. Damon burst with pride on the inside, as this meant that she had preferred his clothes and his scent for a little while now; but on the outside he was cool and collected.

'So that's where all my clothes have been going! I thought there was a shirt-eating monster on the loose,' She giggled at this and snuck a look at him.

'So you're not mad?' she inquired in a tiny voice.

'No of course not, just warn me next time you want to take my favourite button down, okay? As much as I enjoy walking around shirtless, others often don't feel the same way,' He laughed at her sigh of relief.

They ate the rest of their dinner at ease, and sat talking long after their meals were finished. Eventually they moved to sitting on the edge of the deck looking at the sea and the reflection of the moon, perched next to each other.

'I love the moon,' Elena sighed.

'It certainly is mesmerising, no wonder the supernatural has a fascination with it,' Damon murmured, glancing over at Elena's face, fully focused on the peaceful sight in front of them. She shivered, and shuffled slightly closer to Damon. He noticed her gooseflesh and slid right over to her, encouraging her to lean into his side. She complied, leaning her head on his shoulder. Her eyes drooped, and eventually closed, her breathing evening out. Damon's arm wound around her back, making sure she didn't fall backwards in her unconsciousness. Her head had fallen into the crook of his neck and her breath tickled his skin. He revelled in the feeling of her sleeping softly cuddled into him, but thought she would be more comfortable lying down.

He gently scooped her up and headed back to their room, but she woke up just as he reached the doorway. She inhaled sharply and looked up at him, rubbing her eye.

'Hey there, sleepyhead,' He smiled at her, and she returned it.

'Thanks,' Her head returned to the crook of his neck, eyes closing once more.

'Any time,' He laid her down on the bed, and went back outside to clear the dishes and load the dishwasher. When he returned, Elena was in her pyjamas and under the covers, only her head poking out. He smiled to himself, and quickly changed into his favourite black linen pants before climbing in next to her. She immediately shuffled over to him, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling into his chest; inhaling the scent she had been surrounded by for the last few days. He followed suit and her raspberry shampoo caressed his nose. His arms tightened around her and she mumbled something that sounded like 'goodnight', but could've been many other things. Nonetheless, he whispered back to her.

'Goodnight, my princess.'

Sleep claimed them both and the only sounds were their soft breathing and the waves crashing on the shore.

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Reviews are love!

-M


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys! Sorry I've been awful with updates lately, I've had exams (ahhhhh) and I haven't been able to do any writing. I should be back to regular updates soon, and sorry this chapter's a little short, but it's all I have so yeah :( I threw in a little Jingle Bells reference accidentally and also a scene from the show, but remixed a little ;) See if you can find them!

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Elena woke first, and once she realised Damon was not yet conscious she took the opportunity to witness him completely relaxed, vulnerable in his slumbering. She gently pulled back from their tight embrace, and gazed at his peaceful features; taking in just how young he looked, as if no one had hurt him and the stone walls around his fragile heart had never existed. Elena knew they had almost crumbled completely when he was with her, but in others' company there was still quite a way to go.

Little tufts of his silky black hair stood up on his forehead, while others were gently swept across his brow. Eyes closed, she could see remnants of the little boy that once played in the sunlight with his little brother, not a care in the world. His chest softly rose and fell and his full lips were half raised in a small smile – clearly he liked what he was dreaming about.

Elena smiled, her heart swelling with – something, she wasn't quite sure if it was love or not, but it was definitely something beyond the friend zone the pair had been confined in for the last year or so, with the exception of the last few weeks. She could feel herself falling for this extraordinary man, and she suddenly realised it had been happening for a while now. She couldn't resist the urge to reach out and brush a tuft off his brow, and as the tips of her fingers lightly brushed his face his eyes fluttered open. He smiled lazily and his eyelids drooped still, but he lent into her hand that had now drifted to cup his cheek.

'Mmmm, I could get used to waking up like this,' His eyes closed again and he hummed in the back of his throat, the noise reverberating through his chest.

'Morning to you, too.' She smiled wider and her voice cracked with sleep. Her gaze remained on his face, and his eyes stayed closed. A minute or so passed, until Damon broke the silence, eyes still closed.

'You're staring.'

'I'm gazing, actually.'

'It's creepy.'

'Oh, I'm sorry, I'll just get up then and not make you any breakfast if you want to be rude,' She drew away and just as she was about to break all contact with him, she felt a warm, strong arm wind around her waist and pull her back towards him. Her back was now fully pressed against his chest, and his breath tickled her neck; his voice sounding right next to her ear.

'I didn't say I wanted you to stop, or leave me here all alone in this humongous bed,' His voice was low and gravelly, and Elena was shocked to find that a tingle ran all the way down her spine at his words.

'Well, in that case I guess I'll just have to drag you with me then, won't I,' She resisted his strength and grabbed his hand, hauling both of them out of bed. She started off towards the door, but Damon swept her up in his arms and somehow managed to sling her on his back so he was piggy-backing her. She squealed in surprise and let out a peal of laughter, and he ran to the kitchen; her laughing all the way.

Damon let her down to sit on the counter and she leant forward, swinging her legs.

'So, what's for breakfast?' As if on cue her stomach rumbled rather angrily. Damon found this hilarious and chuckled to himself before answering.

'Omelette? I feel slightly pressured, your tummy intimidates me,' She nodded and grinned, as she secretly found it rather sweet that Damon had used the word 'tummy'. While appreciatively watching him move comfortably around the little kitchen, back muscles clenching and relaxing, she decided to stow that away for teasing material later.

'Hey, how about we go and explore the town today? I'm in the mood for some scout work,' Damon agreed.

'Great idea. Plus the beach is always super close if it gets too hot,' He turned and winked at her and she giggled.

They ate outside in the morning sun – Elena with her omelette, Damon with a mug of blood; but looking as if it was a cup of tea. The sun's rays caressed Elena's skin, and she stretched out luxuriously, eyes closed. Omelette was forgotten, and she lay down on the deck, soaking up the sunshine. Her thoughts drifted and when she opened her eyes again, Damon was leaning over her fully changed and ready to go somewhere. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes.

'Did I fall asleep again?'

'Yup,' He smiled down at her. 'I was just about to wake you up, it's now eleven and I thought you'd want to go out pretty soon.' He helped her up and she studied his choice of outfit – lightweight white linen pants and a loose-fitting black button up, also lightweight and only buttoned halfway up. A pair of black Ray Bans was perched on his head and his hand was smooth and warm.

She smiled and headed to their room. 'Just gonna get changed, then we can go, 'kay?' She heard an affirmative grunt from the living room and she headed straight for the bathroom, washing her face and applying some sunblock. She donned her fuchsia bikini underneath a white flowing sundress, coming down to just above her knee with a skirt that twirled around her when she spun in a circle. She did this a few times, she loved the dress because of it. A pair of Ray Bans, exactly the same as Damon's, she realised with amusement, slipped on top of her head and some strappy tan sandals were on her feet. She grabbed a small purse with a long shoulder strap, transferring all she would need into it and exited their room after drawing the blinds so the sun wouldn't heat up the room too much.

'Ready,' she called once she reached the lounge. Damon appeared next the her and smirked.

'Nice sunnies,' he chuckled.

'Oh, yeah, thanks. I completely did not realise we would be matching,' She giggled too and they headed to the car. He chivalrously opened her door, and after putting the sun roof down, he sank into the driver's seat and revved the engine.

They sped off in the direction of the little town without a care in the world.

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Reviews are love!

-M


	9. Chapter 9

Damon's Camaro sped down the small stretch of neatly paved road towards to tiny town, and Elena's hair billowed in the sea breeze. A smile spread widely across her face and Damon couldn't help but smile too.

Elena had wanted to stop at the Town Square first to scout out all the shops, so Damon parked across the road from the Clock Tower. The town was first settled by Italians and had a large population still, Damon told Elena, and that the Square, along with the Tower, was named after the original Palazzo del Orologio in Venice. Elena's interest in the town's history dwindled after she spotted a little boutique just down the street, and she headed in its direction, Damon in tow. He got the hint that she'd rather shop than listen to him right at the moment, so he shut up pretty quickly and prepared himself for the onslaught of clothes and shoes that were no doubt waiting for Elena to try on.

She almost skipped into the quiet little store, and browsed each rack with care and precision, not wanting to miss anything out accidentally. Damon dawdled behind her feigning interest, when something caught his eye.

The boutique's sign described it not only as a unique place to shop for clothes, but also where one would find vintage clothes of the original settlers on display, dating back to the 1850s. What had caught Damon's eye was a dress that he recognised, one that was imprinted in his memory; however long ago the event occurred. He slowly walked over to it, displayed on a mannequin set up on a pedestal; arguing with himself in his head.

_It couldn't possibly be,_ he thought. _She wouldn't have worn something like this more than five times…_

He was still astounded at the similarities. He craned his head upwards to get a better look at the detail of the neckline, just out of curiosity, but he saw what he didn't expect to see; something only he could see with his enhanced vision. He inhaled sharply, and just then Elena noticed that he wasn't by her side.

'Damon?' She had spun around and saw him a few metres away, inspecting an old dress. His back stiffened and she walked over to join him.

'Damon? Are you alright?' Her hand went up to ease the tension in his shoulders, but his eyes were still fixed on the dress.

'This was her dress,' he whispered. 'She wore it the night she told me what she was.' He didn't trust himself to raise his voice to anything louder than a whisper. 'I didn't think she'd kept it.'

It finally clicked. Katherine. Even after she was pretty much out of the picture until further notice, she still managed to pop up in some shape or form reminding them of her presence.

Elena slid her hand up and around his left shoulder, her other hand resting on his right bicep, her face resting on his right shoulder; and she gave him a reassuring squeeze.

'I'm sorry,' she whispered too, following his lead. 'She still manages to cause trouble even when she's most likely on the other side of the world.'

They stayed in silence for a minute or two. Then Elena voiced her thoughts. 'Are you absolutely sure? It could just be a startlingly similar style,' Damon didn't answer immediately. He exhaled heavily.

'I can see traces of blood, Elena. My blood. In the exact spots it was all those years ago.' His voice was raised now to a low rumble and she could hear the stress in his voice. 'I guess she would've wanted to move on straight away, somewhere far from Mystic Falls and the carnage she caused there.' He leant his cheek against the crown of her head, but she drew him closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, as close as she possibly could. His shoulders relaxed and his arms wound around her, his face burrowed into her neck. They held each other for a little while longer, enjoying the sound of each other's breathing, before Elena whispered in his ear.

'We can go to another shop, or walk along the beach if you want,' Her palm glided up and down his spine.

'Might be a good idea,' He drew back so he could look at her. 'This place is a little stuffy anyway.' Elena smiled at him, and he returned it, and lowered his voice again. 'Thank you, Elena,' She reached up and cupped his cheek.

'Anytime,' He leant into her touch, and she reached for his hand. 'Come on, we've got a town to explore! Now, what were you saying about that tower… ?' She dragged him out the door and threw a 'thank you' over her shoulder to the bored-looking young assistant who looked like she couldn't care less. The sunshine hit them like a wall of white as Damon started off again on his history monologue.

After exhausting all possible dress shops except this last one that Elena was determined to scour, Damon was a little, or possibly a lot, tired of the endless racks of clothing which all seemed fruitless in Elena's Quest for The Dress. She wanted a summer dress that was good for nights out, but also for the numerous special dinners and dances that Mystic Falls seemed to never run out of. However, her spirit at the beginning of the day had now somewhat deflated as nothing suitable turned up, and she was desperately hoping that this last shop would be the answer.

She searched, and she searched, but she could find nothing; until Damon's boredom overcame him and he decided to look for The Dress himself. What he wasn't expecting was to succeed.

The dress in question came to just above the knee, had a plunging neckline, and was tight fitting – pretty much Damon's Perfect Choice. It was white and would contrast deliciously with Elena's olive skin, which would now become even more sun-kissed after their little beach retreat. The fabric above the high waist was ruched vertically and the thick straps criss-crossed over the back and joined the rest of the dress at the waist. Damon thought it would be perfect.

Elena was unaware of Damon's findings and was churning out no after no as all the dresses she tried on weren't quite right. There was a knock on her door and Damon held the dress over the top of the door, waiting for her to take it.

'Thought you'd like this one,' He said from outside.

'Thanks,' She sighed and hoped this one would be The Dress.

She slipped it over her head, and, after adjusting it, felt Damon should see what it looked like so she opened the door without even checking in the mirror whether it actually looked nice.

From Damon's quick intake of breath, she knew this was it. She looked up at the mirror at the end of the corridor, and gasped herself. It hugged her enticing curves just right, emphasising her flawless body and her perfect olive skin. The neckline pushed her breasts up slightly, making them look larger but not showing off too much skin. Her long legs went on for miles and her mahogany tresses flowed over her shoulder, her slim fingers resting on her hips making her appear even more slender.

She studied herself thoroughly and suddenly Damon was behind her, his hand on the small of her back. His head dipped until his lips were right by her ear, his eyes holding her gaze in the mirror.

'I think it's the One,' He smiled and she leant back into him. His arms automatically found their way around her hips and rested on her lower stomach, his touch a caress. She closed her eyes and his cheek rested on her temple.

'We are most definitely getting this dress.' she mumbled, and suddenly she was off her feet. Damon swung her round and she squealed in delight, attracting a glare from the store manager and strange looks from the other customers. Damon gently let her down, her giggling and him chuckling as she raced back to the changing room to get back into her own dress as quickly as possible.

Elena was out in a flash, dragging Damon to the counter to pay for the gorgeous dress. After all, he did say he would buy her something, didn't he?

The store manager seemed relieved that the disruptive customers were leaving and sent them on their way rather abruptly. The pair didn't mind too much though, Elena's stomach had caught up with her and now she was feeling ravenous. It made a dying whale sound and Damon looked at her, amused.

'I'll take those dying walrus sounds as a cue to find a place for lunch?' he laughed.

'I would advise not to ignore them, so yes,' The shopping bag hung off Elena's left wrist, and her right hand was tangled with Damon's, swinging between the two.

'Lunch it is, then.'

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Reviews are love!

-M


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys! OMG this weeks episode! AHHH DELENA! heheh sorry :)

Iwont be able to update this weekend as i am on rowing camp til sunday night, but i will try to get a chappie up by monday or tuesday. Anyways, enjoy!

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They wandered on until a quaint little sea side café caught Elena's eye. She pulled Damon towards it without a word and they laughed as they stumbled over the curb, crossing the road to the door of the café. As they were waiting for a table Damon detached his hand from Elena's so he could wind it around her waist and pull her close.

'Excellent choice, Princess,' he whispered in her ear. She giggled, and was just about to answer him when a waiter appeared in front of the pair.

'Hi, how can I help you? A table for two?' Elena nodded and he led them to a small table on a patio outside, facing the surf. He was well-built, tanned, and had dark brown hair and matching eyes; and Elena couldn't help but notice the muscles that moved under his shirt when he walked in front of them. She also noticed Damon noticing her watching the waiter, and he tried to catch her eye; tugging on her waist gently and taking her free hand. Elena could tell he was a tad jealous, and she knew she was just getting on his nerves deliberately; the waiter's muscles, however tan he may be, were still no match for Damon's sculpted perfection in her eyes. A giggle escaped her mouth and Damon's eyes tightened minutely, not noticeable to someone just observing, but Elena knew him so well that it was just about as obvious as him screaming in anger.

The waiter left them to their own devices and came back shortly with menus after they had seated themselves. As he approached, Elena smiled sweetly at him and Damon was glaring at the table top.

'A menu for you, Sir, and a menu for the pretty lady,' He winked at Elena and she laughed a little. Damon continued staring, but shifted his gaze to the view to his right. 'Can I get you guys a drink?'

'Sure, we'll have a Corona, please, and a Bourbon. Neat.' Elena shot him another smile, and scoured her menu for something to eat.

'I'll be right back with those,' He walked quickly away from them, yelling their order to the barman in the corner.

Damon had one elbow propped on the table, fist clenched tightly, and the other one playing with his phone. Elena knew the waiter had gotten on his nerves, he didn't usually fiddle with things.

'What's up?' She reached out a hand and stroked the back of his fisted hand, her tender touch causing him to relax slightly.

He wouldn't answer. She tried again.

'Is this about that waiter calling me a pretty lady? Damon…' She smiled and he turned to face her.

'No, Elena, it's the way that you responded to him. The smiles, the-'

'Damon,' she laughed at him, and he glared right back at her. 'You honestly thought that was for real? Have you not been here with me the past few days? I saw your change of mood as soon as that guy walked over to us. You knew that he was going to hit on me in some form and I was just making a joke out of it. I'm here with you, and only you. Do you see anyone else around? Hmm?'

He looked down at his hand, the one that was in Elena's and he smiled, embarrassed.

'I really am thick at times, aren't I?' She giggled and his eyes met hers. They leant closer together and Elena reached out with her other hand to take his in both of hers.

'I must admit, I was surprised when you didn't catch on straight away! Come on, Damon, you can't have thought I'd go for _him,_ did you? You know I prefer my men un-sundamaged,' He chuckled at her comment and the waiter returned with their drinks.

'I think we'll need a few more minutes before we order, thanks,' Damon told the man before he could say a word, and he left them in peace.

They ended up ordering the first thing on the menu because they had been too distracted to even think about ordering by the time the waiter came back, so when the food came Elena had no idea what she'd ordered, only that apparently it was edible. The pair were politely surprised when they ended up receiving the lobster, only the most expensive thing on the menu.

'We should probably look before we order next time, I don't think my pocket can take more of this,' Damon joked.

'I'm pretty sure you'd be just fine,' Elena giggled and took a bite of the lobster. 'At least it's worth its money,' At that Damon pulled a face, a cross between a pout and a frown that only made Elena laugh harder.

After they had eaten their fill, the two of them strolled down the seashore while Elena's stomach settled. They ended up walking along the wet sand, shoes in hand so they wouldn't get wet and hands joined, swinging between them. Damon's pants were rolled up to his calves and Elena's hair floated in the sea breeze. The sun shone on her chocolate waves and they, like the sea, sparkled with the sunlight, bringing out golden tones Damon never knew she had. Elena was too busy digging her toes into the sand to notice her hair shining, but Damon's eyes were riveted. He never stopped marvelling at just how beautiful and free-spirited young Elena was, with her eyes glittering with joy and her hair framing her face like a golden-brown halo; her olive skin glowing under the sun's rays, perfectly contrasting the white dress and her luminous smile. He gazed thoughtfully and rubbed his thumb in small circles over the back of her hand, his lips curling up at the edges. Finally she noticed him.

'What?' She stopped walking but her smile didn't fade. 'Is there lobster on my face?'

Damon smiled, properly this time. 'No, just thinking.' Elena smiled back at him and suddenly a thought crossed her mind.

'Do you feel like a swim now?' She sucked on her bottom lip and Damon chucked his shoes further up the beach before quickly whipping his shirt and pants off to reveal his blackboard shorts.

'Sure am,' He took off towards the waves and Elena hurriedly dumped her stuff, shrugging off her dress so she was in her fuchsia bikini and ran after him.

'Wait for me! That's not fair!' she shouted after him as she leaped over smaller waves. He was already waist deep in the surf and just before she reached him he dived under a wave, emerging right in front of her.

'Really? Seems fair to me,' He smirked and winked at her and with a swift sweep of his leg, he dunked Elena under the water, and she came out gasping and spluttering.

'Not all of us are superhuman, thank you very much! You pretty much drowned me!' Damon grinned and splashed her.

'That was the point!' He cheekily wiggled his eyebrows and did it again. This time, however, Elena was at least slightly more prepared and didn't splutter quite so much.

'Oh, it's definitely on now,' Her voice dropped low and she let out a war cry before leaping onto him, but he easily evaded her advances and dunked her from behind. She decided to stay underwater, and with a burst of strength, she pushed off the sandy ocean floor and barrelled into his stomach with her shoulder, tackling him and surprising him but not quite dunking him. His head stayed above the water, but before she could act on it he was on his feet again, towering over her. All it took was one evil grin and his palm on her head to force her beneath the waves again.

She grew tired of him constantly pummelling her. _It's time to play dirty,_ she thought.

She didn't fully stand up once her face emerged, and a grimace was stretched over her face. Naturally, Damon quickly made his way over to her.

'Elena, are you alright?' His eyebrows met in concern.

'I think I rolled my ankle in the sand when I went under,' She reached for her ankle and she could feel the guise working.

'I'm so sorry, I'll carry you to the shore and we can take a look-'

'Aha! Gotcha!' Damon was cut off by Elena grabbing his shoulders and pulling him forward as he leaned over her. He couldn't recover as he was already off balance and he fell straight into the water. Elena exploded with laughter and by the time Damon's head broke the surface of the water there were tears in her eyes. Damon didn't seem too pleased though, and he scooped her up in his arms and dunked her head in the water repeatedly. Every time she had just taken a breath she was suddenly back in the water, but after three or four tries Damon let her properly recover. She clung to him, gasping for breath as he smirked at her, thoroughly enjoying it.

'That was totally not fair,' she tried to frown but was just reminded of how she dunked him earlier and a smile slowly spread across her face.

'It totally was. And I think we should get out now before you get anymore funny ideas, missy,' Damon proceeded to carry her towards the shore with her hitting his chest in protest.

'But we've barely been in for five minutes!'

'Well I'm sorry but I can't have you trying anything again, it's just too humiliating. Plus it's getting darker,' Damon nodded towards the sun getting lower in the sky. It threw an orange glow over everything and everyone and Damon looked like he'd had a bad fake tan. Elena couldn't help but snicker and Damon shot her a questioning glance.

'What's so funny, Princess?'

'The sun is making you look like you have a really bad fake tan,' She continued to giggle and Damon set her down on the sand with a mischievous glint in his eye.

'Right, that's it,' He grabbed her clothes and sprinted down the beach towards the car park.

'HEY!' Elena shot after him, making impressive ground considering the sand and his physical advantage. Soon she caught up to him and tackled him around his waist, bringing them both down into the sand. Her hand darted out and collected her dress, backing away before he could pull her back down to the ground and poked out her tongue at him. She slipped the dress over her head after brushing all the sand off it and herself, and started back for the rest of her stuff.

Before too long, Damon sidled up beside her.

'How did you manage to catch up with me, you little speed demon! I was at full human pace!' She tossed her hair over her shoulder defiantly.

'I used to run track before I started cheerleading.'

'Aren't you full of surprises. Hey, do you feel like going out for dinner tonight? Can't be bothered cooking,' he winked at her and she scoffed.

'Sure, we just have to get cleaned up first.' She looked over at him and he was grinning contagiously. She couldn't help but crack a smile and once they gathered their things, they headed back to the car.

Elena had only one problem in the whole world; she couldn't figure out what to wear.

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Reviews are love!

-M


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